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Raytheon's SM-6 Surface-to-Air Missile Once Again Shatters Engagement Distance Record

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Naval Defense Industry News - USA
 
 
 
Raytheon's SM-6 Surface-to-Air Missile Once Again Shatters Engagement Distance Record
 
The U.S. Navy successfully completed the longest range Anti-Air Warfare intercept in its history at the Point Mugu Test Range in California, Sept. 22. During the Naval Integrated Fire Control - Counter Air (NIFC-CA) test, USS Princeton (CG 59), equipped with the latest Aegis Baseline 9, successfully processed data from a remote airborne sensor to engage and destroy an over-the-horizon threat representative target using Standard Missile-6 (SM-6).
     
The U.S. Navy successfully completed the longest range Anti-Air Warfare intercept in its history at the Point Mugu Test Range in California, Sept. 22. During the Naval Integrated Fire Control - Counter Air (NIFC-CA) test, USS Princeton (CG 59), equipped with the latest Aegis Baseline 9, successfully processed data from a remote airborne sensor to engage and destroy an over-the-horizon threat representative target using Standard Missile-6 (SM-6).
An SM-6 is launched from a Mk41 VLS. Picture: US Navy
     
This is not the first time that SM-6 has shattered its own distance record. The missile broke the previous long-range intercept record in January of this year onboard USS John Paul Jones at Pacific Missile Range Facility, a milestone it originally set in June of 2014.

This NIFC-CA test was the tenth consecutive successful live-fire test to demonstrate an over-the- horizon, engage-on-remote capability. This particular test also successfully validated the NIFC-CA from the sea kill chain concept.

The success of this test was due to the collaborative efforts of the Navy Point Mugu Test Center, Naval Integrated Fire Control - Counter Air and Aegis Weapon System program offices and multiple industry partners.

"NIFC-CA is a game changer for the U.S. Navy that extends the engagement range we can detect, analyze and intercept targets at sea," said Rear Adm. Jon Hill, the Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS). "This test is a significant accomplishment, one that will shape the future of surface warfare."

NIFC-CA From The Sea is a program of record which uses four pillar programs to act as a kill chain for the surface fleet: Aegis Baseline 9.0, Cooperative Engagement Capability, E2D Hawkeye and SM-6.

"We are looking at every ship as a potential offensive weapons platform in an effort to gain and maintain sea control," said Vice Adm. Tom Rowden, commander, Naval Surface Forces.

"Neutralizing enemy cruise missiles at range, as demonstrated in this test, is one of the dramatic leaps forward the Surface Force is making to implement the concept of Distributed Lethality and extending the offensive battlespace."

Aegis Baseline 9 delivers a fully open architecture system on U.S. cruisers and destroyers and is the basis for current and future Aegis Integrated Air and Missile Defense. Baseline 9 is being fielded on in-service destroyers, new construction destroyers and Aegis Ashore. The Aegis Common Source Library-enabled derivatives are on Freedom-variant littoral combat ships and will be included on the upcoming frigate ship.
     
The U.S. Navy successfully completed the longest range Anti-Air Warfare intercept in its history at the Point Mugu Test Range in California, Sept. 22. During the Naval Integrated Fire Control - Counter Air (NIFC-CA) test, USS Princeton (CG 59), equipped with the latest Aegis Baseline 9, successfully processed data from a remote airborne sensor to engage and destroy an over-the-horizon threat representative target using Standard Missile-6 (SM-6).
USS Princeton (CG 59)
(Picture: US Navy)
     
About the Standard Missile-6
SM-6 delivers a proven over-the-horizon air defense capability by leveraging the time-tested advantages of the Standard Missile's airframe and propulsion.
The SM-6 uses both active and semiactive guidance modes and advanced fuzing techniques.
It incorporates the advanced signal processing and guidance control capabilities from Raytheon's Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.
SM-6 delivers multi-mission capability for long range Fleet Air Defense and Sea-Based Terminal Defense

About the Cooperative Engagement Capability
Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) is a real-time sensor netting system that enables high quality situational awareness and integrated fire control capability, improving battle force effectiveness and enabling longer range, cooperative, multiple, or layered engagement strategies. Currently deployed on 75 naval ships and 48 aircraft, 10 U.S. Marine Corps network systems, and approved for export to four countries, CEC continues to evolve, benefitting from developments in core technologies, which have advanced the system in both capability and affordability.